November, the month before Christmas. Dark evenings, winter boots, chilly walks and fireworks. In this month’s seasonal recipes, we’re showing you how to twist three seasonal ingredients to tease your taste buds in the lead up to the festive season. In these recipes try parsnip, beef and satsuma in a way that you never have before.

Spicy Parsnip Soup with Zingy Ginger and Fresh Chilli

The humble parsnip soup is given a new lease of life with aromatic Asian flavours and added heat. This is the perfect winter warmer recipe; serve with crusty sourdough loaf and crispy pancetta for added deliciousness.

“Make the most of seasonal ingredients with these mouthwatering recipes.”

Method

1. Heat a splash of olive oil and the butter in a large saucepan. Add the onion, garlic, ginger and garam masala. Gently fry for around 10 minutes, until the onions are soft and sweet.
2. Drop in the chopped parsnip and stir together so that everything gets coated in the oil and flavours. Pour in the milk and stock, season well and bring to the boil. Turn down the heat and simmer for 30 minutes with a lid on.
3. After half an hour, check that the parsnips are cooked by sticking a knife in. If you’re happy, remove them from the heat and carefully whiz up using a hand blender or liquidizer. Taste the soup to see if it needs a little more salt or pepper.
4. Serve with a sprinkling of sliced red chilli, a few coriander leaves if you like, and a good chunk of crusty bread.

Coffee-Rubbed Chuck Burgers

Unusually, these burgers are made with chuck mince – finely ground beef mince made from cheaper, more flavoursome cuts of steak. This combined with a quick coffee rub make for a mouth-watering American-style burger sensation. Pop under the grill and serve in burger buns with salad leaves and a ranch dressing.

Method

1. Put the mince in a large bowl, season well and gently mix together. Using slightly damp hands shape the mixture into four 9cm/3½inch burgers. Cover and chill for 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile prepare the coffee rub; in a small bowl mix all the ingredients together and set aside.
3. Dust the burgers in the rub on both sides and cook on a prepared barbecue or under a preheated moderate grill for 6-8 minutes on each side until thoroughly cooked or until any meat juices run clear.
4. Serve the burgers in bread rolls of your choice with salad leaves and ranch dressing.